CN102749841A - Electronic timepiece and time adjustment method - Google Patents

Abstract

Provide electronic clocks and time correction methods, which can efficiently receive satellite signals to reduce power consumption and display accurate time. The wristwatch (1) with GPS has: a satellite signal receiving part (10A), which receives satellite signals; an automatic receiving unit (24), which makes the satellite signal receiving part (10A) operate to receive satellite signals, and obtains satellite signals contained in the time information; the time information correction unit (25), which measures the time, and corrects the measurement time with the time information obtained by the automatic receiving unit (24); the reception result storage unit (313), which stores the automatic A reception result of the reception process by the receiving unit (24); and a reception time setting unit (21) that sets a reception start time for starting the reception process based on the reception result stored in the reception result storage unit (313). The automatic receiving unit (24) executes receiving processing when the measured time becomes the receiving start time set by the receiving time setting unit (21).

Description

Electronic clock and time correction method

technical field

The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece and a time correction method for obtaining the current date and time by receiving radio waves transmitted from position information satellites such as GPS satellites.

Background technique

In the GPS (Global Positioning System: Global Positioning System) system, which is a system for measuring its own position, GPS satellites orbiting the earth are used, and the GPS satellites have atomic clocks. Therefore, GPS satellites have extremely accurate time information (GPS time, satellite time information).

There is known a portable electronic device including means for correcting internal time data measured by a timekeeping unit using time information included in navigation data transmitted from the GPS satellite (see Patent Document 1).

In this patent document 1, there is described a control method in which the indoor and outdoor are judged by an ultraviolet sensor and GPS is received only when it is outdoors.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-194697

However, in the method of Patent Document 1, a method of selectively receiving navigation data transmitted from satellites that are difficult to receive indoors is described outdoors, but it may be misrecognized due to indoor lighting, or even outdoors, due to many The influence of paths or the influence of high-rise buildings, etc., is also difficult to receive in places with less openness above.

Contents of the invention

In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic timepiece and a time correction method capable of efficiently receiving satellite signals, reducing power consumption, and displaying accurate time.

The electronic timepiece of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a receiving unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a position information satellite, and performs receiving processing for acquiring time information contained in the satellite signal; and a timekeeping unit that measures the time, And the measured time is corrected based on the time information acquired by the receiving unit; a reception result storage unit stores the reception result of the receiving unit; and a reception time setting unit based on the time information stored in the The reception result in the reception result storage unit sets the reception start time at which the reception process is started, and the reception unit becomes the time set by the reception time setting unit at the time measured by the time counting unit. When the reception start time is not specified, the reception process is executed.

In the present invention, a reception time setting unit that sets a time to start a reception process based on a reception result stored in the reception result storage unit is provided. Therefore, the reception time setting means can set, for example, the reception start time when the reception is successful as the future reception start time. Therefore, it is possible to set the time period when reception was successful in the past as the reception start time, and it is possible to perform reception processing in a time period when reception is easy in the user's behavior pattern, thereby increasing the probability of successful reception.

Therefore, according to the electronic timepiece of the present invention, compared with the case where the reception start time is fixed, the probability that the reception is successful and the time information can be obtained is increased, the accurate time can be displayed, and useless reception processing can be prevented to achieve power saving. .

In the electronic timepiece according to the present invention, it is preferable that the reception time setting unit does not change the reception start time when reception of the set reception start time is successful in the reception process, and When reception fails in the reception process at the set reception start time, after updating the reception start time to a preset fixed time, when reception succeeds at the updated reception start time, The updated reception start time is set as the reception start time at which the reception process is started.

When the user's behavior pattern is the same, the reception is more likely to be successful when the reception is performed within the same time period as when the past reception was successful. In the present invention, if the reception is successful in the reception process at the set reception start time (including the initially set reception start time), the time is maintained as the reception start time, and if the reception fails, the After a certain period of time, for example, 1 hour later, the reception is performed again, and the reception process after a certain period of time is repeated until the reception is successful. If the reception is successful, this time is set as the reception start time.

Therefore, since the subsequent reception start time becomes the time when reception was successful in the previous reception process, reception can be performed during the successful reception period based on the user's behavior pattern, and the probability of successful reception can be increased.

In the electronic timepiece of the present invention, preferably, the reception result storage unit stores reception results for a certain period, and the reception time setting unit stores the reception results for a certain period based on the reception results stored in the reception result storage unit , to set the future reception start time.

Here, a certain period refers to a period of multiple days such as one week (7 days).

If the reception result for a certain period is stored in the reception result storage unit, it is possible to reliably grasp the time period in which the reception success probability is high. That is, when the electronic clock is located outdoors, it is easy to receive satellite signals. Therefore, compared with the case where the user is in a building while working, or the case of taking a train on the way to and from work, it is easier to walk from the house to the station. , or when you are outdoors due to lunch break, etc., it is easy to receive successfully. Since the probability of successful reception changes according to such a user behavior pattern, if the reception results for several days are stored, the time period during which the user has successfully received can be grasped.

Therefore, the subsequent reception start time can be set as the time when the reception is successful in the multi-day reception process, so that reception can be performed during the successful reception period based on the user behavior pattern, and the probability of successful reception can be increased.

In the electronic timepiece of the present invention, preferably, the reception time setting unit sets a plurality of times as an initial value of the reception start time, and sets the time received in the reception process among the plurality of times. The time of success is set as the subsequent reception start time.

In the present invention, reception processing is executed at a plurality of timings set as initial values, for example, 8:00, 18:00, and 23:00. And, among these times, the time at which the reception was successful is set as the subsequent reception start time. In addition, when the reception is successful at a plurality of times, it is only necessary to select a time more suitable for reception, such as a set time with a high received signal level.

According to the present invention, the reception start time can be selected from a plurality of times. Therefore, it is possible to select a time with a better reception environment and set it as the reception start time, compared to setting the time when the first reception was successful as the reception start time. Therefore, it is possible to further increase the probability of successful reception.

In the electronic timepiece of the present invention, preferably, the receiving unit executes the receiving process at the plurality of time points within a certain period, the reception result storage unit stores the reception result for the certain period, and the receiving The time setting unit sets a subsequent reception start time based on the reception result for the predetermined period stored in the reception result storage unit.

Here, a certain period refers to a period of multiple days such as one week (7 days).

In the present invention, since reception processing is performed at a plurality of times in the first fixed period, it is possible to grasp the reception result corresponding to the user's action pattern in the fixed period. Therefore, it is possible to reliably grasp a time zone with a high probability of successful reception, and it is possible to perform reception in the time zone of successful reception based on the user's behavior pattern, thereby improving the probability of successful reception.

In the electronic timepiece of the present invention, it is preferable to include a manual receiving unit for operating the receiving unit to receive the satellite signal and obtain the time included in the satellite signal by operating the external operation member. A manual reception process of information, the reception result storage unit stores a reception result of the manual reception process, and the reception time setting unit sets the reception start time based on the manual reception result stored in the reception result storage unit .

According to the present invention, the user can execute manual reception processing by operating an external operation member such as a button provided on the electronic timepiece. The reception result storage unit stores the reception result in this manual reception process. In addition, the reception time setting unit sets, for example, the time when manual reception processing was performed as the reception start time based on the manual reception result, so that a time period suitable for reception can be set as the reception start time according to the user's own judgment.

Therefore, in addition to setting the reception start time based on the reception processing result, the present invention can also set the reception start time based on the manual reception result when manual reception is performed, thereby further increasing the probability of successful reception.

The electronic timepiece of the present invention is characterized in that it includes: a receiving unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a position information satellite, and performs receiving processing for obtaining time information contained in the satellite signal; The operation makes the receiving unit operate to receive the satellite signal and obtain the manual receiving process of the time information contained in the satellite signal; the timing unit measures the time, and according to the time obtained by the receiving unit The information corrects the measured time; the reception result storage unit stores the reception result of the manual reception process by the manual reception unit; and the reception time setting unit based on the reception result stored in the reception result storage unit As a result, the reception start time at which the reception process is started is set, and the reception unit, when the time measured by the timer unit becomes the reception start time set by the reception time setting unit , execute the receiving process.

According to the present invention, the user can execute manual reception processing by operating an external operation member such as a button provided on the electronic timepiece. The reception result storage unit stores the reception result in this manual reception process. In addition, the reception time setting unit sets, for example, the time when manual reception processing was performed as the reception start time based on the manual reception result, so that a time period suitable for reception can be set as the reception start time according to the user's own judgment. Therefore, it is possible to further increase the probability of successful reception.

In the electronic timepiece of the present invention, preferably, the reception time setting unit sets a manual reception time when the manual reception process is successful as the reception start time.

When the reception start time is set according to the manual reception process, the reception start time can also be set irrespective of the result of the manual reception process (reception success or failure). That is, even if reception fails, it can be presumed that the user has performed manual reception processing under an environment suitable for reception.

However, manual reception processing may also be performed due to user's erroneous operation. When such a manual reception processing time due to an erroneous operation is set as the reception start time, the possibility of reception failure also increases.

Therefore, if the reception start time is set only when the reception is successful in the manual reception process as in the present invention, compared with the case where the reception start time is also set as the reception failure, the time of reception success in the reception process can be improved. The probability.

In the electronic timepiece according to the present invention, preferably, when the reception time setting unit has performed the manual reception process a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time range, the manual reception process of the manual reception process is performed. The reception time is set as the reception start time.

Here, the predetermined time range set in advance means, for example, a range of ±10 minutes based on 8:00 (8:00 am) in a 24-hour display, and can be set appropriately.

For example, the user sets to start manual reception processing at 8:00 on Monday, 8:05 on Tuesday, and 7:55 on Wednesday. The three receptions were within ±10 minutes of the original 8:00. In this case, the user's action pattern is expected to be outdoors around 8 o'clock and the user is in an environment suitable for reception, so the user performs manual reception processing. Therefore, if the subsequent reception start time is set based on these times during manual reception processing, the probability of successful reception can be increased.

In addition, as a specific setting of the reception start time, for example, the first reception start time of the manual reception process may be set as the reception start time, or the multiple reception times within the certain time range may be set as the reception start time. The averaged receiving time is set as the receiving start time.

The time correction method of the present invention is characterized in that it includes the steps of: performing a receiving process for acquiring time information contained in a satellite signal transmitted from a position information satellite; measuring the time; and using the time information acquired in the receiving process. , correcting the time measured by performing the measurement; storing a reception result of the reception process; and setting a reception start for starting the reception process based on the reception result stored by performing the storage. In the step of performing the reception process, when the time measured by performing the measurement becomes the reception start time, the reception process is executed.

According to the present invention, the same functions and effects as those of the above-mentioned electronic timepiece can be achieved.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a main circuit configuration of a GPS wristwatch as an electronic timepiece of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main system configuration of the GPS wristwatch of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing reception processing according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing reception processing according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing reception processing according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart showing automatic reception start time setting processing in the third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a main system configuration of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing reception processing in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing manual reception processing of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing manual reception processing of the fifth embodiment.

Label description

1. 1A watch with GPS; 10GPS device; 10A satellite signal receiving unit; 11GPS antenna; 20 control unit; 21 receiving time setting unit; 24 automatic receiving unit; 25 time information correction unit; 26 manual receiving unit; 30 storage device 31 RAM; 311 time information storage unit; 313 receiving result storage unit; 40 input device; 50 display device; 51 time display drive unit; 52 time display unit; 60 secondary battery;

Detailed ways

[first embodiment]

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the main hardware configuration and the like of a wristwatch 1 with a GPS satellite signal receiving device (hereinafter referred to as "wristwatch with GPS 1") as an electronic timepiece according to the present invention.

The GPS wristwatch 1 is configured to receive satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites orbiting in predetermined orbits over the earth, obtain satellite time information, and correct the internal time information for display.

In addition, GPS satellites are an example of the positional information satellites of the present invention, and there are a plurality of them in the sky above the earth. Currently orbiting about 30 GPS satellites.

In addition, buttons or a crown are provided as external operation parts on the wristwatch 1 with GPS.

[Circuit structure of a watch with GPS]

Next, the circuit configuration of the GPS wristwatch 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a wristwatch 1 with GPS includes a GPS device (GPS module) 10, a control unit (CPU) 20, a storage device (storage unit) 30, an input device 40, a display device 50, a secondary battery 60, and a solar panel. 70. The storage device 30 has a RAM 31 and a ROM 32. These respective devices communicate data via the data bus 80 and the like.

In addition, the display device 50 is constituted by hands (second hand, minute hand, hour hand) or a display for displaying time or positioning information.

The secondary battery 60 is a battery capable of storing electric power generated by the solar panel 70 as a generator, and the secondary battery 60 and the solar panel 70 constitute a power supply for supplying electric power to the GPS wristwatch 1 .

[Structure of GPS device]

The GPS device 10 has a GPS antenna 11 and processes satellite signals received via the GPS antenna 11 to obtain time information and position information.

The GPS antenna 11 is composed of a patch antenna and the like that receive satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites orbiting in predetermined orbits above the earth. The GPS antenna 11 is arranged on the back side of the dial, and receives radio waves transmitted through the crystal and the dial of the GPS wristwatch 1 .

Therefore, the dial and the crystal are made of materials that transmit radio waves that are satellite signals sent from GPS satellites. For example, the dial is constructed of plastic.

In addition, although the GPS device is not shown in the figure, it has an RF (Radio Frequency) unit that receives satellite signals transmitted from GPS satellites and converts them into digital signals, and performs correlation judgment of received signals to perform synchronization, just like a normal GPS device. The BB unit (baseband unit), and the information acquisition unit that acquires time information and positioning information from the navigation message (satellite signal) demodulated by the BB unit.

The RF section has a bandpass filter, PLL circuit, IF filter, VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator), ADC (A/D converter), mixer, LNA (Low Noise Amplifier), and IF amplifier.

In addition, the satellite signal extracted by the band-pass filter is amplified by the LNA, mixed with the signal of the VCO by a mixer, and down-converted to an IF (Intermediate Frequency: intermediate frequency). The IF mixed by the mixer is converted into a digital signal by an ADC (A/D converter) through an IF amplifier and an IF filter.

The BB unit has: a local code generation unit that generates a local code composed of the same C/A code as that used by the GPS satellite when transmitting; and a correlation unit that calculates the local code and the received signal output from the RF unit. Correlation value between.

And, if the correlation value calculated by the correlation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the C/A code used for the received satellite signal matches the generated local code, and the satellite signal can be captured (synchronized). Accordingly, the received satellite signal is correlated using said local code, whereby the navigation message can be demodulated.

The information acquisition unit acquires time information and position information from the navigation message demodulated by the BB unit. That is, the navigation message transmitted from the GPS satellite includes preamble data, TOW (Time of Week, also called "Z count") of HOW (Handover Word), and each subframe data. Subframe data includes subframe 1 to subframe 5, and each subframe has, for example, satellite correction data including week number data and satellite health status data, ephemeris (detailed orbit information for each GPS satellite), almanac (all rough orbit information of GPS satellites) and other data.

Therefore, the information acquisition unit extracts a predetermined data part from the received navigation message, and acquires time information and position information. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the GPS device 10 constitutes the receiving unit.

Programs and the like executed by the control unit 20 are stored in the ROM 32 of the storage device 30 .

On the other hand, the RAM 31 of the storage device 30 stores satellite signals obtained by reception, time information and reception results described later, and position information calculated by positioning calculations when receiving in the positioning mode. wait.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 , the RAM 31 has a time information storage unit 311 that stores time information acquired by reception, and a reception result storage unit 313 that stores a reception result.

FIG. 2 shows system configuration blocks of the GPS wristwatch 1 of the present embodiment.

The control unit (CPU) 20 controls the satellite signal receiving unit 10A of the GPS device 10, and corrects the time information based on the acquired time information.

The control unit 20 performs various controls by the programs stored in the ROM 32 . Therefore, the control unit 20 has a reception time setting unit 21 , an automatic reception unit 24 , and a time information correction unit 25 .

The reception time setting unit 21 sets the reception start time at which the automatic reception unit 24 performs reception processing. A specific method of setting the reception start time will be described later in detail.

When the internal clock measured by the time information correction unit 25 described later becomes the reception start time set by the reception time setting unit 21 , the automatic reception unit 24 controls execution of reception. That is, when the set reception start time comes, the automatic reception unit 24 controls the satellite signal reception unit 10A of the GPS device 10 to execute reception processing. Therefore, the automatic receiving unit 24 constitutes the receiving unit of the present invention. In the following description, the automatic reception start time refers to the reception start time set by the reception time setting unit 21 , and the automatic reception process refers to the reception process executed by the automatic reception unit 24 .

In addition, the automatic receiving unit 24 may also perform automatic receiving processing in consideration of the voltage condition of the secondary battery 60 . That is, even if the reception start time is reached, the automatic reception process may not be performed when the voltage of the secondary battery 60 is lower than a predetermined value (for example, 3.6V).

For example, the automatic receiving unit 24 detects the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 60 based on the voltage, determines whether the battery voltage is higher than a predetermined value, and executes the automatic receiving process only when the voltage is higher than the predetermined value. When reception processing is performed with a low battery level, the battery voltage will drop drastically due to the power consumption for reception, and the system may crash. Therefore, by controlling not to perform reception processing in a state where the battery voltage is lower than a predetermined value, system breakdown can be prevented in advance.

The satellite signal reception unit 10A performs reception processing to obtain time information. The time information received by the satellite signal receiving unit 10A is stored in the time information storage unit 311 of the RAM 31.

In addition, the reception result in the satellite signal receiving unit 10A, specifically reception result information indicating whether the reception was successful or not, and the reception start time at that time are stored in the reception result storage unit 313 of the RAM 31.

The time information correction unit 25 controls a display device 50 composed of a time display drive unit 51 and a time display unit 52 . The time display unit 52 is composed of hands, and the time display drive unit 51 is composed of a motor or the like that drives the hands.

Furthermore, the time information correction unit 25 corrects the time of the internal clock based on the time information stored in the time information storage unit 311 and the time difference information of the current location. The time difference information can be set by the user through manual input, or the current location can be obtained by receiving satellite signals for positioning processing, and the time difference information corresponding to the current location can be obtained from the time difference table stored in the RAM 31 for setting.

Furthermore, the time information correcting unit 25 measures the internal time based on a reference signal from an oscillating circuit (not shown), and continuously updates the time displayed on the time display unit 52 via the time display driving unit 51 . Therefore, the timekeeping means of the present invention is also constituted by the time information correction unit 25 .

In addition, when a display is provided as the time display unit 52, the time display driving unit 51 further includes a circuit for driving the display.

[Reception time setting unit]

Next, a method of setting the automatic reception start time in the reception time setting unit 21 will be described.

The reception time setting unit 21 sets, for example, 8:00 am as an initial value of the automatic reception start time. If reception is successful at this automatic reception start time, the automatic reception start time is maintained without being changed.

Also, reception time setting means 21 updates the automatic reception start time to a preset fixed time (in this embodiment, one hour later) when reception fails at the set automatic reception start time.

And, if the reception is successful at the updated automatic reception start time, the updated automatic reception start time is kept.

As described above, the reception time setting unit 21 sets the reception start time when the reception is successful as the automatic reception start time.

[automatic reception processing]

Next, control of the automatic reception process in the control unit 20 will be described with reference also to the flowchart of FIG. 3 .

That is, the automatic receiving unit 24 refers to the internal time measured by the time information correcting unit 25, and judges whether or not it has reached the automatic receiving time set by the receiving time setting unit 21 (S1). When S1 is "No", the determination process of S1 is repeatedly performed until the time of automatic reception.

On the other hand, when it is the automatic reception time, that is, when the determination in S1 is YES, the automatic reception means 24 drives the satellite signal reception unit 10A to start reception (S2).

The automatic receiving unit 24 judges whether or not the time information was successfully received as a result of the receiving process by the satellite signal receiving unit 10A (S3). In addition, successful reception refers to the case where the satellite signal is received and the time information is obtained. In other cases, for example, the GPS satellite cannot be captured and the signal cannot be received, or the satellite signal can be received but the time information cannot be obtained. , it is judged as receiving failure.

[Processing when automatic receive processing succeeds]

If it is judged as "Yes" in S3, that is, the reception is successful, the satellite signal receiving unit 10A stores the acquired time information in the time information storage unit 311, and stores the reception result information indicating that the reception is successful, and the reception time information when the reception is successful. The start time is stored in the reception result storage unit 313 (S4).

Then, the time information correction unit 25 executes time correction processing using the time information stored in the time information storage unit 311 ( S5 ).

When the automatic reception process is successful, the reception time setting unit 21 holds the automatic reception start time without changing it.

Then, the automatic receiving unit 24 returns to the determination process of S1. Therefore, the receiving process is not performed until the same time (for example, 8:00 am) of the next day, and the automatic receiving process S2 is started when the same time comes.

[Processing when automatic reception processing fails]

On the other hand, when the determination in S3 is NO, that is, when the reception has failed, the satellite signal receiving unit 10A cannot acquire the time information, and therefore does not store the time information in the time information storage unit 311 . Then, the satellite signal receiving unit 10A stores the reception result information indicating that the reception failed, and the reception start time when the reception failed, in the reception result storage unit 313 ( S6 ).

In addition, the reception time setting means 21 changes the automatic reception start time to a preset fixed time (one hour later) (S7).

Then, the automatic receiving unit 24 returns to the determination process of S1. Therefore, the reception process is not performed until one hour (9:00 am) after the last automatic reception process (for example, 8:00 am), and the automatic reception process (S2) is started at that time.

If reception of the updated automatic reception start time is successful (YES in S3), time information and reception result storage processing (S4) and time correction processing (S5) are performed.

On the other hand, if the reception fails in the reception process of the updated automatic reception start time ("No" in S3), the storage process of the reception result (S6) and the change process of the automatic reception start time ( S7).

By repeating the above processes S1 to S7, in the automatic reception process, the reception process is performed in units of 1 hour from the set automatic reception start time until the reception is successful, and the time of successful reception is set as a new automatic reception time. At the start time, the automatic reception process is executed at the new automatic reception start time on the next day.

[Action and effect of the first embodiment]

According to the first embodiment, based on the reception result stored in the reception result storage unit 313 , the time to start the automatic reception process is set to the time when the reception was successful in the previous automatic reception process. Therefore, the automatic reception start time can be automatically set as the automatic reception start time in the past successful reception time period, and the automatic reception process can be performed in the easy reception time period in the user's behavior pattern, thereby increasing the probability of successful reception.

That is, in order to successfully receive satellite signals during automatic reception, it is preferable that the wristwatch 1 with GPS is in a state suitable for receiving satellite signals such as outdoors. Specifically, when a user wearing the wristwatch 1 with GPS works in an office in a building, and when a train or a car moves at a high speed and frequently and continuously enters the shadow of a building such as a station or a building , the possibility of reception failure is high.

On the other hand, if the user is outside with a wide view, the possibility of successful reception is high. Therefore, for example, when walking from the house to the station, or walking from the station to the office, etc., the possibility of successful reception is relatively high.

The time slots that are easy to receive differ according to such user behavior patterns. In this embodiment, the time at which reception was successful in the previous automatic reception process is automatically set as the automatic reception start time. That is, the receiving time is adjusted with reference to the success and failure of reception, and the reception process is performed at the time when the previous reception was successful according to the user's behavior pattern, so the probability of successful reception in the automatic reception process is also increased. Therefore, the probability of successful reception and time information acquisition during automatic reception increases, accurate time can be displayed on the time display unit 52, unnecessary reception processing can be prevented, power saving can be realized, and system breakdown can be prevented in advance.

Also, when the automatic reception unit 24 fails to receive the automatic reception start time, it performs the reception process again after a predetermined time, and sets the time when the reception was successful as a new automatic reception start time. Therefore, even when the user's behavior pattern changes, reception processing corresponding to the latest behavior pattern can be further performed, and the probability of successful reception can be further increased.

Moreover, the information used when the automatic receiving unit 24 performs the automatic receiving process is only time information, so it is not necessary to separately install a special sensor or the like in order to obtain information for judging the receiving condition, an increase in power consumption can be prevented, and it is also possible to easily Used in small electronic timepieces such as watches.

[Second Embodiment]

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The second embodiment differs from the above-described first embodiment in that the automatic reception start time is set based on the reception results within a certain period of time. Therefore, the structure of the GPS wristwatch 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, in the processing of the second embodiment shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 , the same processing as that of the flowchart of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the processing of S1 to S3 is the same as that of the above-mentioned first embodiment, and the processing of S4 and S5 when the reception is successful in S3 is also the same as that of the above-mentioned first embodiment.

In addition, the processing S6 when the reception fails in S3 is also the same as that of the above-mentioned first embodiment.

On the other hand, after S6, the automatic receiving unit 24 judges whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (S21), and if the predetermined time has elapsed, the reception process is started (S22). The predetermined time in S21 may be set to, for example, one hour or the like.

The result of the reception processing in S22 is judged (S23), and if the reception is successful, the processing of S4 and S5 is performed. That is, in S4, the reception start time and the like when the reception is successful are stored in the reception result storage unit 313 .

On the other hand, in the case of failure in reception in S23, the automatic receiving unit 24 repeats the processing of S6 to S23.

Then, following S5, the reception time setting unit 21 judges whether or not the reception results for a certain period of time have been recorded (S24). The fixed period refers to a predetermined period of two days or more, and in this embodiment refers to the latest week (7 days).

If no reception result has been recorded for a certain period of time in S24, for example, if one week has not elapsed since the power of the GPS wristwatch 1 was turned on, the determination is "No" in S24, and the process returns to S1 to continue the process. At this time, since the automatic reception start time remains the initial setting time (for example, 8:00 am), when it becomes the initial setting time (8:00 am) again, the receiving process of S2 starts.

On the other hand, when the determination in S24 is YES, the reception time setting means 21 changes the automatic reception start time according to the reception result for a certain period (S25). The reception time setting unit 21 sets, for example, the start time with the highest reception success frequency among the reception results for one week as the automatic reception start time. That is, among the successful reception results in a week, if there are 2 times at 8:00 am, 4 times at 9:00 am, and 1 time at 5:00 pm, set the most frequent time at 9:00 am Set as the new automatic reception start time.

Afterwards, when recording a new successful reception result every day, the reception time setting unit 21 sets a new automatic reception start time according to the frequency of successful reception times in the past, that is, the last 7 days.

[Action and effect of the second embodiment]

Also in the second embodiment, the same operational effect as that of the above-mentioned first embodiment can be achieved.

In addition, since the automatic reception start time is set based on the reception results for a certain period, it is possible to set a reception time suitable for the user's normal behavior pattern.

For example, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the time when the reception process of the day was successful is set as the new automatic reception start time, so the automatic reception start time set according to the reception result of the day when the behavior pattern is different from the usual May not be suitable for next day automatic receipt processing.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the most appropriate automatic reception start time is set according to the reception results in one week, so a more appropriate time can be set according to the user's behavior pattern, and the probability of successful reception can be further increased.

[Third Embodiment]

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the third embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that the automatic reception start time setting process is performed first.

Therefore, the structure of the GPS wristwatch 1 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted. In addition, in the process of the third embodiment shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 , the same processes as those in the flowcharts of the above-mentioned embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the GPS wristwatch 1 of the third embodiment first executes automatic reception start time setting processing ( S30 ). This automatic reception start time setting process S30 is executed immediately after starting to use the GPS wristwatch for which the automatic reception start time has not been set, or when the settings are initialized by the user's operation.

After the automatic reception start time setting process S30 is executed, as shown in FIG. 6 , the automatic reception unit 24 judges whether or not it is the preset time. In this embodiment, three times are set as the set times. For example, the first set time is 8:00, the second set time is 18:00, and the third set time is 23:00.

In addition, the number of the set times and the specific set times are not limited to the above examples. The number of setting times is generally about 3 to 4. If the number of settings increases, the power consumption increases, and can be set more specifically according to the user's action pattern. In addition, as a specific example of the set time, initial setting may be performed at the time of factory shipment, or may be set by a user through an input operation.

Then, the automatic receiving unit 24 judges whether the counted time measured by the time information correction unit 25 has become the first set time (S31), and if it is determined not to be the first set time, determines whether it has changed to the second set time. time (S32). And when it is judged that it is not the 2nd set time, it is judged whether it has become the 3rd set time (S33).

When it is judged as "No" in S33, it returns to S31, and continues a process.

On the other hand, when it is judged as YES in S31-S33, the automatic receiving means 24 operates the satellite signal receiving part 10A, and starts reception (S34). Then, it is judged whether the reception has succeeded (S35).

When the determination in S35 is "Yes", the satellite signal receiving unit 10A stores the acquired time information in the time information storage unit 311, and stores the reception result information indicating successful reception and the reception start time when the reception is successful in the receiving signal receiving unit 311. The result storage unit 313 (S36).

Then, the time information correction unit 25 executes time correction processing using the time information stored in the time information storage unit 311 (S37).

On the other hand, when the determination in S35 is NO, the satellite signal receiving unit 10A stores the reception result information indicating that the reception failed and the reception start time when the reception failed, in the reception result storage unit 313 (S38).

After the processes of S37 and S38, the reception time setting means 21 judges whether or not the reception results for a certain period have been recorded (S39). The fixed period refers to a predetermined period of two days or more, and in the present embodiment refers to one week (7 days).

If no reception result has been recorded for a certain period of time in S39, for example, if one week has not elapsed since the power of the GPS wristwatch 1 was turned on, the determination is "No" in S39, and the process returns to S31 to continue. Therefore, the receiving process is executed at the 1st to 3rd set times every day during a period of one week.

On the other hand, when the determination in S39 is YES, the reception time setting means 21 changes the automatic reception start time according to the reception result for a certain period (S40). The reception time setting unit 21 sets the time at which the reception success frequency is the highest among the first to third set times among the reception results for one week, as the automatic reception start time. Also, when the frequency at which reception is successful at a plurality of set times is the same, it is only necessary to select a time more suitable for reception, such as a set time with a high average value of the received signal level.

So far, the automatic reception start time S30 has ended.

Afterwards, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, it is determined whether it has become the automatic reception start time (S1) set in the processing of S30, and if it becomes the time, the reception process is started (S2), and it is determined that the reception is received. Whether it is successful (S3).

Then, if the reception is successful, the time information and the reception result are stored (S4), the time is corrected (S5), and the process returns to S1.

Also, if the reception fails, the reception result is stored (S6), and the processing returns to S1.

[Action and effect of the third embodiment]

Also in the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be achieved.

In addition, since the automatic reception start time setting process S30 is executed, it is possible to set the most appropriate automatic reception start time according to the behavior pattern of the user in the first fixed period. Therefore, it is possible to further increase the probability of successful reception.

[Fourth embodiment]

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 , the fourth embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that the automatic reception start time setting process is executed based on the result of manual reception. Therefore, also in this embodiment, the same configurations and processes as those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, in addition to the structure of the above-mentioned GPS wristwatch 1, the GPS wristwatch 1A of this embodiment is provided with an external operation member 90 such as a button for performing a receiving operation, and the external operation member 90 is used to perform the receiving operation. The manual receiving unit 26 that performs receiving processing at the time of receiving operation.

In addition, the reception result at the time of manual reception processing is also stored in the reception result storage unit 313 .

Next, in this embodiment, the processing when a manual reception operation is performed will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 20 executes manual reception processing (S50). As shown in FIG. 9 , in the manual reception process, the manual reception unit 26 determines whether or not a manual reception operation has been performed by an external operation member 90 such as a button (S51). When it is determined as "No" in S51, the detection process of S51 is continued.

When the user's manual receiving operation is performed and the determination in S51 is YES, the manual receiving unit 26 operates the satellite signal receiving unit 10A to execute satellite signal receiving processing (S52). Then, it is judged whether the reception has succeeded (S53).

When the determination in S53 is "Yes", the satellite signal receiving unit 10A stores the acquired time information in the time information storage unit 311, and stores the reception result information indicating successful reception and the reception start time when the reception is successful in the receiving signal receiving unit 311. The result storage unit 313 (S54).

Then, the time information correction unit 25 executes time correction processing using the time information stored in the time information storage unit 311 ( S55 ).

Next, the reception time setting unit 21 sets the reception start time when the reception is successful in the manual reception operation as the automatic reception start time (S56).

On the other hand, when the determination in S53 is "No", the satellite signal receiving unit 10A stores the reception result information indicating that the reception failed and the reception start time when the reception failed, in the reception result storage unit 313 (S57). At this point, the processing at the time of the manual reception operation ends.

When the manual reception process S50 ends, as shown in FIG. 8, the automatic reception unit 24 judges whether it has become the automatic reception start time set in the process of S50 (S1), and if it becomes the time, the reception process is started (S2) , and determine whether the reception is successful (S3).

Then, if the reception is successful, the time information and the reception result are stored (S4), the time is corrected (S5), and the process returns to S1.

Also, if the reception fails, the reception result is stored (S6), and the processing returns to S1.

[Action and effect of the fourth embodiment]

Also in the fourth embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be achieved.

In addition, since the time when the reception is successful in the manual reception process S50 is set as the automatic reception start time, the user can set the automatic reception start time as a time zone suitable for reception in his own action pattern. Therefore, an optimal automatic reception start time can be set, and the probability of successful reception can be further increased.

[Fifth Embodiment]

The fifth embodiment is different in that the manual reception process S60 shown in FIG. 10 is executed instead of the manual reception process S50 of the fourth embodiment. In addition, other configurations and processes are the same as those of the fourth embodiment, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10 , in the manual reception process S60 of the fifth embodiment, the processes of S51 to S55 and S57 are the same as those of the fourth embodiment.

And, the reception time setting unit 21 judges whether or not it meets the schedule for setting the automatic reception start time when the processing of S54 and S55 is performed because the reception is successful, and when the processing of S57 is performed due to the failure of the reception. Condition (S61).

Specifically, predetermined conditions of S61 are as follows. That is, it is determined in S61 whether manual reception processing has been performed more than a predetermined number of times, and whether each manual reception time is within a predetermined time range.

Here, the manual reception time being within a certain time range means, for example, within a range of ±10 minutes based on the first manual reception time. That is, three times are set as the predetermined number of times, and when manual reception processing is performed at 8:00 (8:00 am) on Monday, 8:05 on Tuesday, and 7:55 on Wednesday, the three times of manual reception The time (start time of manual reception) is included in the range of 8:00±10 minutes, and thus satisfies the aforementioned predetermined condition. Also, in this embodiment, the number and time of manual reception processing are judged not only when reception is successful but also when reception is unsuccessful, but the judgment may be made only for successful reception.

Then, when this condition is satisfied, the reception time setting means 21 sets the automatic reception start time (S62). Specifically, the first manual reception time (8:00 in the above example) or the average value of three manual reception times is set as the automatic reception start time.

The automatic reception process after the automatic reception start time is set is the same as the processes S1 to S6 shown in FIG. 8 in the fourth embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[Action and effect of the fifth embodiment]

Also in the fifth embodiment, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned fourth embodiment can be achieved.

In addition, in the manual reception process S50, if the manual reception process is performed multiple times within a certain period of time, this time is set as the automatic reception start time. Instead of setting the automatic reception start time, the automatic reception start time can be set only when the user has performed manual reception processing multiple times within the same time period. Therefore, the user can set a time slot suitable for reception in his own behavior pattern as the automatic reception start time. Therefore, an optimal automatic reception start time can be set, and the probability of successful reception can be further increased.

[modified example]

In addition, this invention is not limited to each said embodiment.

For example, in the above-mentioned third embodiment, the automatic reception start time is set after performing the automatic reception processing of the first to third set times for a certain period (one week), but it is also possible to set the automatic reception start time every day, that is, once each. Set the automatic reception start time for the automatic reception processing of the 1st to 3rd set times. In this case, there is an advantage that the automatic reception start time can be quickly set. In addition, when reception is successful at a plurality of set times, it is only necessary to select a time more suitable for reception, such as a set time with a high received signal level.

In addition, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, even when the reception fails, the reception result is stored in the reception result storage unit 313, but the reception result when the reception fails may not be stored in the reception result storage unit 313, and only The reception result when the reception is successful is stored in the reception result storage unit 313 . That is, the reason is that when the automatic reception start time is set based on the time when the reception is successful, there is no need to store the reception result when the reception fails.

On the other hand, by also storing the reception result when the reception fails, the automatic reception start time may be set to a time that is different from the reception time when the reception fails by a predetermined time or more. For example, when the time of successful reception and the time of failure are within the range of ±30 minutes, the reception may be successful by chance. Therefore, the automatic reception start time may not be set within a predetermined time range based on the reception failure time with reference to the reception failure result.

In addition, when receiving results for a certain period of time (for example, one week) are stored as in the second embodiment or the third embodiment, automatic reception may be set for each week number based on the reception results for each week number. start moment. In this case, even when the user's behavior pattern differs for each day of the week, an automatic reception start time suitable for reception can be set for each day of the week, and the probability of successful reception can be increased during automatic reception processing.

In addition, when the automatic reception start time is set for each weekday, in addition to the weekdays from Monday to Sunday, information on holidays may also be considered for determination. Since this holiday information differs for each country, it is only necessary to specify and set the country of the current location by using the positioning information received in the positioning mode or the user's input operation.

In addition, as the week number, it is also possible to classify according to weekdays and holidays. As for the weekdays and holidays, as an initial setting, Monday to Friday are weekdays, and Saturday and Sunday are holidays, which may be changed by user's input operation. In this case, even if the past reception history has only information on Monday, Tuesday to Friday can be judged to be the same weekdays, and automatic reception control can be performed using the reception history on Monday.

Furthermore, in the fourth or fifth embodiment described above, the automatic reception start time is set based on the reception result in the manual reception process, but the automatic reception time based on the automatic reception of the first to third embodiments may be added to these embodiments. Change/setting processing of automatic reception start time of reception processing. That is, when manual reception processing is performed, the automatic reception start time may be set based on the processing result, and then the automatic reception start time may be changed according to the result of the automatic reception processing.

If the setting of the automatic reception start time based on the manual reception result and the setting of the automatic reception start time based on the automatic reception result are used in combination in this way, the automatic reception start can be set appropriately even when either process is performed. time.

The electronic timepiece of the present invention is not limited to an analog timepiece having hands, but can also be applied to a combined timepiece having hands and a display or a digital timepiece having only a display. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to wristwatches, and can be applied to various timepieces such as desk clocks and pocket watches, or various information terminals having a timekeeping function such as mobile phones, digital cameras, PNDs (Personal Navigation Devices), and car navigation systems.

The power generating device is not limited to the solar panel 70, and a power generator may be operated by a rotary weight, or the like. In addition, instead of providing a power generating device in the GPS wristwatch 1 , the secondary battery 60 may be charged using electric power from an external power source such as an outlet.

In addition, the power source is not limited to a rechargeable secondary battery, but may be a primary battery.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, GPS satellites have been described as examples of positional information satellites, but the positional information satellites of the present invention may be not only GPS satellites but also Galileo (EU), GLONASS (Russia), Beidou ( China) and other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), geostationary satellites such as SBAS, and quasi-zenith satellites are position information satellites that transmit satellite signals including time information.

Claims (10)

1. An electronic clock, characterized in that the electronic clock has: a receiving unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a position information satellite, and performs receiving processing for obtaining time information contained in the satellite signal; a timing unit that measures the time and corrects the measured time based on the time information acquired by the receiving unit; a reception result storage unit that stores a reception result of the reception unit; and a reception time setting unit that sets a reception start time at which the reception process is started based on a reception result stored in the reception result storage unit, The receiving unit executes the receiving process when the time measured by the time counting unit becomes the receiving start time set by the receiving time setting unit. 2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein: The reception time setting unit does not change the reception start time when reception succeeds in the reception process of the set reception start time, When the reception fails during the reception process at the set reception start time, after updating the reception start time to a preset fixed time, When the updated reception start time is successfully received, the updated reception start time is set as the reception start time for starting the reception process. 3. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2, wherein: The reception result storage unit stores reception results for a certain period, The reception time setting unit sets a subsequent reception start time based on the reception result for the predetermined period stored in the reception result storage unit. 4. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein: The reception time setting unit sets a plurality of times as an initial value of the reception start time, Among the plurality of times, the time at which the reception is successful in the reception process is set as a subsequent reception start time. 5. The electronic timepiece according to claim 4, wherein: the receiving unit executes the receiving processing at the plurality of times within a certain period, the reception result storage unit stores the reception results for the certain period, The reception time setting unit sets a subsequent reception start time based on the reception result for the predetermined period stored in the reception result storage unit. 6. The electronic timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The electronic timepiece has a manual receiving unit that performs manual receiving processing of operating the receiving unit to receive the satellite signal and acquire time information contained in the satellite signal by operating an external operation member, the reception result storage unit stores a reception result of the manual reception process, The reception time setting unit sets the reception start time based on a manual reception result stored in the reception result storage unit. 7. An electronic clock, characterized in that the electronic clock has: a receiving unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a position information satellite, and performs receiving processing for obtaining time information contained in the satellite signal; a manual receiving unit that performs a manual receiving process of operating the receiving unit to receive the satellite signal and obtain time information contained in the satellite signal by operating an external operation member; a timing unit that measures the time and corrects the measured time based on the time information acquired by the receiving unit; a reception result storage unit that stores a reception result of manual reception processing by the manual reception unit; and a reception time setting unit that sets a reception start time at which the reception process is started based on a reception result stored in the reception result storage unit, The receiving unit executes the receiving process when the time measured by the time counting unit becomes the receiving start time set by the receiving time setting unit. 8. The electronic timepiece according to claim 7, wherein: The reception time setting unit sets a manual reception time when the manual reception process is successful as the reception start time. 9. The electronic timepiece according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The reception time setting unit sets the manual reception time at which the manual reception process is performed as the reception start time when the manual reception process is performed a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time range set in advance. 10. A time correction method, characterized in that, comprising the following steps: Perform receiving processing for acquiring time information contained in satellite signals transmitted from position information satellites; measure time; correcting the time measured by performing the measurement using the time information acquired in the receiving process; storing a reception result of the reception process; and setting a reception start time at which the reception process is started based on the reception result stored by performing the storage, In the step of performing the reception process, the reception process is executed when the time measured by performing the measurement becomes the reception start time.

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